15 Great Fall Concerts in Atlanta

Hotlanta! Your city is positively spoiled this season when it comes to good music. There are plenty of upcoming concerts in Atlanta, but we’ve chosen the best of the best that the city has to offer this fall. Check out our list, and let us know which ones have you most excited.

As one of the biggest stars in the entire history of American country music, Willie Nelson is one performer you certainly don’t want to miss. All of the awards and accolades he’s received over the last few decades are too long to list, and he’s widely regarded as an American icon. Despite his eighty-two years of age, Nelson has continued to tour extensively and release music each year, showing no signs of slowing down. Don’t miss this legend when he comes to Atlanta on September 25.

Making a stellar comeback this year is none other than Janet Jackson, whose Unbreakable World Tour kicked off at the end of August. There’s no doubt in our minds that Ms. Jackson is a downright superstar, and that’s not just because she shares DNA with the King of Pop himself. The youngest Jackson sibling has released ten studio albums since her self-titled debut back in 1982, six of which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Janet just released her new record, Unbreakable, under her own label, Rhythm Nation Records.

Throw on your Autumn Sweater, because acclaimed indie rock act Yo La Tengo is coming to Atlanta this fall. All puns aside, the band has been a critical success since the early ’90s, with a Velvet Underground-esque sound that’s had music journalists singing their praises for the last two decades. Last month, the band released a new album called Stuff Like That There, which features re-recordings of old Yo La Tengo songs as well as covers of The Cure, Hank Williams, and more.

Nate Ruess initially rose to fame as the frontman of the early 2000s indie pop band The Format, but nowadays is better known as the lead singer of the Grammy-winning group Fun. As of this year, Ruess is embarking on a solo career for the first time, and in February he issued his debut single “Nothing Without Love.” Ruess released his first solo record, Grand Romantic, earlier this summer.

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, known for her powerful vocals and folksy style, began her career performing in music clubs in Seattle. After signing with Columbia Records and releasing her self-titled debut album, she was later featured one of Rolling Stone’s 10 Artists to Watch in 2005. Her second album was her real breakthrough though, and the lead single “The Story” was a huge commercial success. She has since put out a series of successful albums, including her most recent work, The Firewatcher’s Daughter, which came out in March.

One of the most revered acts in the music world today, the Foo Fighters, are back with their first album in three years, the highly anticipated Sonic Highways. Each track on the album was inspired by and recorded in a different U.S. city, though not once on the record does the band stray from their own sound. It’s been a big year for the Foo Fighters in addition to Sonic Highways. With the release of the album also came an eight-episode HBO series of the same name, directed by Dave Grohl himself. The band is now out on their Sonic Highways Tour, which kicked off in July, and are (as usual) selling out huge stadiums nationwide.

English electronic music duo Disclosure consists of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence. Their breakthrough came in 2012 with the hit single “Latch,” which features vocals from Sam Smith. A year later, they released their debut album Settle, earning the Lawrence brothers their first Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album. Later in the month, the duo is set to release their highly anticipated sophomore album Caracal. The new record is due out on September 25 and features collabs with The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Lorde, and more.

The indie folk five-piece Of Monsters and Men hails all the way from Iceland. Formed in 2010, the band centers around the talents of vocalists/guitarists Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir and Ragnar Thorhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, bassist Kristjan Pall Kristjansson, and drummer Arnar Rosenkranz Hilmarsson. Of Monsters and Men first came into the spotlight in 2011 with their hit single “Little Talks,” which was getting airplay on radio stations all over the world and quickly propelled them to international fame. The next year, they released their debut album, My Head Is An Animal, which rapidly climbed the charts and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The band is back this summer with their sophomore record, Beneath the Skin, which they released on June 9.

Glass Animals is an English indie rock band from Oxford consisting of childhood friends Dave Bayley, Drew Macfarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward. They released their debut album Zaba in 2014, from which songs like “Gooey” and “Black Mambo” became big alternative radio hits. Glass Animals will be bringing their rock-meets-electronic-meets-R&B sound to Atlanta’s Buckhead Theatre on October 12.

Texas native Leon Bridges is a singer/songwriter who blends Southern soul and gospel. His sound has been compared to that of ’60s-era crooners like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. Bridges built up a local following in his hometown of Fort Worth before signing with Columbia Records in December of last year. Having played at Sundance and SXSW earlier this year, Leon Bridges has made himself known as an up-and-coming artist, and his debut album Coming Home came out in June.

New York City rock band Battles was founded in 2002 by guitarist Ian Williams. Rounding out the band’s current lineup are guitarist/bassist Dave Konopka and drummer John Stanier. They released their first album, Mirrored, in 2007, followed by their sophomore record, Gloss Drop, in 2011. This summer, Battles announced their third album, , which is due out on September 18.

Halsey is the stage name of New York’s Ashley Frangipane. In true hipster fashion, the New Jersey native took the name of a Brooklyn L train stop to use as her musical alias. She self-released her first single, “Ghost,” and based on the strength and popularity of that song she signed a deal with Capitol Records-owned electronic/dance label Astralwerks in 2014. Halsey just released her highly anticipated debut album Badlands, which dropped in at #2 on the Billboard 200.

Last time I saw Mac Demarco perform, highlights from his set included camouflage overalls, crowd surfing, and an ironically weak attempt at a Coldplay cover, so you can expect just about anything from this Canadian goofball when he comes to Atlanta this month. Though known for his stage antics, Demarco’s music alone is reason enough to see him. He’s a great guitarist with quite the voice and a talent for songwriting, having earned the attention and respect of some of the biggest music critics out there, so he’s one artist you should definitely check out.

Though having emerged only a few years ago, Florida Georgia Line has become of the biggest country groups of the last decade. The duo, which features Southern natives Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, released their debut full-length in 2012, selling over 2 million copies and achieving double platinum certification. The record, titled Here’s to the Good Times, soon reached the top spot on the Billboard country albums chart in the United States and produced several #1 singles, including their career-launching hit “Cruise.” Florida Georgia Line came back strong in 2014 with their sophomore record Anything Goes, and as of this year they are touring with support from Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard. Their Anything Goes tour has been reported as one of the hottest tours for 2015, so don’t miss them when they come through Atlanta in October.

Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. got his start when he passed along his demos to former Girls bassist JR White. Soon, he was recording with White, signed a record deal with True Panther, and quickly earned early support from Adele, who Tweeted his music out to her millions of fans. His debut album, Goon, came out in early 2015, and features a series of lovely and heart wrenching piano ballads that prove the merits of minimalism with strong songwriting.

Past Concerts in Atlanta

Las Vegas’ Imagine Dragons seemingly came out of nowhere in the last few years to rise to the top of the charts and earn a Grammy Award, becoming one of the biggest acts out there right now. After the smash success of their hit debut album Night Visions, which included chart-topping singles like “Demons” and “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons are back this year with a brand-new album called Smoke + Mirrors. Chock full of stadium-ready anthems much like their first record, their sophomore attempt was well worth the wait, and now the band is out promoting the album on their headlining Smoke + Mirrors tour.

Fall Out Boy emerged as one of the frontrunners of the 2000s pop punk scene, spurred by the success of their 2005 breakthrough album From Under the Cork Tree. They set the mid-2000s radio ablaze with hits like “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” and “Dance, Dance,” both of which were top ten singles that went multi-platinum. Fans were immediately drawn to the impressive vocal chops of singer Patrick Stump and the charm and charisma of guylinered bassist Pete Wentz, and soon enough Fall Out Boy became a group of international rock stars, selling out arenas all over the world. After a few more successful albums, the band went on a brief hiatus, but made a solid return in 2013 with their album Save Rock and Roll. After extensive touring in support of the record, the band premiered their new single “Centuries” in 2014. The single was issued as a lead-up to their sixth album, American Beauty/American Psycho, which came out in January of this year and is the band’s third #1 album to date. Currently, the band is on tour with hip hop artists Wiz Khalifa and Hoodie Allen as part of the Boys of Zummer Tour.

Country trio Lady Antebellum will be performing at Aarons Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 18 as part of the 2015 Country Megaticket. Formed in Nashville in 2006, it didn’t take long for Charles Kelley, Hilary Scott, and Dave Haywood to make it big. They have since released several platinum albums, had hit singles top both the country and mainstream charts, and won multiple prestigious awards. This is one show any country fan won’t want to miss.

What better way to spend a warm summer night than with The Beach Boys? Fans young and old will enjoy catching Brian Wilson and crew as they bring their nostalgic summer sounds to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on July 24.

Relive the angst of the nineties with two acts that helped define the decade in music. ’90s alt-rock legends Smashing Pumpkins are teaming with metal superstar Marilyn Manson this summer for their co-headlining The End Times tour. On July 25, they’ll be making a stop in Atlanta at Aarons Amphitheatre for what’s sure to be a great show.

At first glance, it may seem like Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are polar opposites – one is a young and provocative pop star with crazy hair colors and wild outfits, the other an 88-year-old man who sings traditional, old-school jazz. However, when these two came together, it became clear to all that they certainly have at least one thing in common, and that’s talent. What seemed at first like the unlikeliest of duos suddenly made sense once the world heard their collaborative performance. Anyone quick to dismiss Gaga as just another pop star and record label product would surely change his or her mind and recognize that she is clearly quite talented, and she and Bennett complement each other perfectly. Their joint album, Cheek to Cheek, features the pair singing classic jazz standards and earned the duo a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album this year.

Toby Keith earned near-instant stardom with his debut single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which shot to the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart back in 1993. The single eventually racked up millions of spins on the radio, making it the most-played country song of the decade. His stardom grew even more when he released the 2002 single “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which was a controversial and politically-charged response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks of the year before. The 2000s brought more success for Keith, as he released his two most popular singles during that decade. His 2003 duet with Willie Nelson, “Beer For My Horses,” spent six weeks at the top of the country charts, as did his 2005 solo single “As Good As I Once Was.” Toby Keith has kept up the momentum over the years, and he is currently working on his eighteenth studio album, titled 35 MPH Town. His upcoming show at Aarons Amphitheatre is part of this year’s Country Megaticket.

Now finished with his history-making performances with Grateful Dead during their farewell tour earlier this month, Trey Anastasio returns to his day job as the frontman of the world-famous jam band Phish. Picking up where the Grateful Dead left off, Phish emerged in the late ’80s as the next great jam band, becoming known for their relentless touring and live improvisation and earning a massive fan base in the process. Always one of the top-grossing touring acts each year, they’re not one to disappoint, so don’t miss out when they come to your city.

Rising to fame in the late 1990s, Shania Twain emerged to become one of the most successful female country artists in the genre’s history. By the time she released her multi-platinum second album The Woman in Me in 1995, she was a Grammy Award winner and a mainstream crossover success. Her next album, the astoundingly 20x platinum Come On Over, came out in 1997 and to this day still holds the record as the best-selling country album of all time. Flash forward to 2015, and Twain is headed out on the road for her first tour in 11 years, still rocking it at almost 50 years old. She has stated that she plans to release a new album once the tour wraps.

When Nicki Minaj put out her debut album Pink Friday back in 2010, she instantly rose to superstar status, quickly becoming the first female solo artist to have seven singles charting on the Billboard 200 at once. Her extravagant live performances are said to be amazing live, so don’t miss out when she comes to Atlanta’s Aarons Amphitheatre along with Meek Mill and Rae Sremmurd.

My Morning Jacket formed in the late ’90s in Louisville, KY. Led by frontman Jim James, whose ethereal voice and incredible range are impressive to say the least, the band is known for amazing live performances. Though rooted in alt-country and rock, My Morning Jacket often delves into different genres and experiments with their sound. The band just released their new album, titled “The Waterfall,” this May. As part of their 2015 tour, they’re playing two nights at the Fabulous Fox Theatre along with psych pop band Mini Mansions.

As the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, rapper J. Cole was surely the subject of much attention in 2011. That year, the label released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, which debuted at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200. He followed that up in 2013 with his equally successful, chart-topping sophomore record Born Sinner. This past fall, J. Cole dropped his highly anticipated third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which again debuted atop the Billboard 200, making it his third consecutive #1 album. Though it has only been out for a few months, the record has already been certified platinum.

Last year, pop singer Meghan Trainor became an instant sensation with her catchy, body-positive single “All About That Bass.” After the song’s music video became a huge hit on YouTube, it eventually climbed the Billboard 200, and the rest was history. Now barely a year in the spotlight, the 21-year-old already has platinum album sales, #1 hits in several countries, and two Grammy nominations. Pop fans won’t want to miss her perform at The Tabernacle with Life of Dillon as the opening act.

Country superstar Luke Bryan is coming to Atlanta this summer as part of his Kick the Dust Up Tour. The Georgia native has had so many number one singles over the last few years that it’s hard to keep track, and his live shows are said to be nothing short of amazing, so this is the ultimate show for any country fan.

In case you didn’t know, ’80s hair metal icons Motley Crue are on tour right now, and this year’s shows will be their last. Fans can catch the longtime lineup of Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, and Mick Mars one last time. If that’s not enough to sway you, the band will also be joined by special guest Alice Cooper, who will serve as the opening act.

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